Most people have their own circle of friends to rely on. These may be
from childhood, highschool, college, the neighborhood, or from work.
Our innermost circle are those we rely on when times get tough, they
are the ones we celebrate alongside our families when we are
overjoyed.
And indeed, having a wonderful inner circle is a blessing anyone
should be thankful for. After all, our Heavenly Father Himself wants
us to share our lives with others, and journey this earth serving one
another.
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love
has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You
are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:12-15
Finding “ride or die” friends though may not come easy to everyone.
This is especially true for those who move a lot, or are too busy to
dedicate time to socialize with other people. Others may also find it
difficult to make friends once they get traumatized with trust issues
between former friends. These individuals tend to refuse opening up
to new people in their lives.
Nevertheless, one thing is certain, the Lord wants us to have friends
we can rely on. The Bible has several stories in both the New and Old
Testament that could attest to this truth. King David and his
predecessor King Saul’s son Jonathan, shared a great friendship that
stood the test of time. The same goes for the Apostle Paul and his
proteges like Luke, Timothy, and Titus. Even a prophet like Elijah has
been blessed with loyal friendship through a younger prophet, Prophet
Elisha.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their
toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him
who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
As present-day believers however we should be wary about the
friendships that we keep. The Bible has enough warnings about choosing
the kind of people we associate ourselves with.
“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33
We should ensure that our inner circle will be composed of people who
are also seeking to glorify God with their actions. These people
should not in any way lead us to a darker path, nor be neutral to not
care about our spiritual growth. We should share with them the same
kingdom values that prioritize a life of worship.
“Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with
one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself
ensnared.” Proverbs 22:24-25
Moreover, our inner circle should be alert enough to lead us to the
Lord when we lose our way. The perfect example is the group of friends
in the Gospel of Luke, who went through the lengths of boring a hole
in the roof just to get their sick pal to the feet of Jesus.
“But they could not find a way to take him in because of so many
people. They made a hole in the roof over where Jesus stood. Then they
let the bed with the sick man on it down before Jesus. When Jesus saw
their faith, He said to the man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
Luke 5:19-20
When we have those kinds of friends, we know that we are in good
company and are heading in the right direction. If we have none yet,
then where do we meet these friends if we have none yet? Well we can
join bible study groups and let friendships develop naturally. The
church after all is the best place to find fellow believers. If we
have a current crop of friends who are not yet keen on living for
Jesus then why not stir them by sharing the gospel with them, and
start seeking the Lord together?
In the end, nurturing godly friendships and sharing Jesus with others
is one of God’s ways of loving us. We get to respond to other people’s
needs for friendship and in turn we will also be blessed with the
company and loving support of God-honoring people.
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but
encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is
drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to
ponder on Luke 5:17-20 and Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you have an inner circle of friends that are
with you in pursuing God?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for wanting to
bless us with God-honoring friendships that will help us keep living a
life of worship to you. Help me keep these friendships alive, so that
we can pursue your will and encourage each other through life. Amen.
